Parliamentarians desert assembly day after full house

Sitting adjourned until Monday as house failed to meet quorum

ISLAMABAD: A day after when the government, in a landmark achievement, passed a constitutional amendment with two-third majority regarding the merger of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), it failed to meet minimum presence of lawmakers for the house to maintain order on Friday.

After the tabling of two calling attention notices in the lower house of parliament, answered by the government, National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq intended to give parliamentarians a chance to speak on the legislations passed by the house on Thursday.

He asked Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party's (PkMAP) Naseema Hafeez Panezai to not point out quorum as the members wanted to speak on it. “We will continue discussing the business which was transacted by the house yesterday."

Quipping that the house was bursting on the day of the bill but it was lacking quorum again, Panezi dismissed the speaker’s request and pointed out quorum which led to headcount and the proceedings were suspended when the quorum was found breached.



The quorum was again found breached on the resumption of proceedings leading to the sitting being adjourned until Monday.

Earlier, Ghulam Ahmad Bilour of the Awami National Party (ANP) lauded the house for adopting a constitutional amendment allowing the merger of the tribal belt with K-P. “For the past 70 years a large population of Pakhtoons living in Fata was kept deprived of their fundamental rights. I congratulate the house for passing the amendments in this connection,” Bilour said.

Responding to a calling attention notice moved by JUI-F lawmaker Jamal-ud-Din pertaining to non-implementation of the petroleum exploration and production policy 2012, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Shaikh Aftab Ahmed said that oil and gas companies are responsible for carrying out welfare projects in the areas of exploration.

He said companies had their own policies regarding provision of jobs to the local people. “Companies recruit local people in non-technical fields.”

Responding to a calling attention notice moved by MQM-Pakistan lawmaker Sheikh Salahuddin pertaining to nonpayment of salaries to the employees of the Telephone Industries of Pakistan (TIP), causing grave concerns amongst the public, Minister for Information and Technology and Telecommunication Anusha Rahman said that efforts have been made to bring reforms in TIP.

Highlighting that corruption cases were being carried out by the employees of TIP in different fields, the minister said the officials of TIP had given electricity connection to a private housing society from a factory own connection.

She claimed due to this illegal connection the government was paying bill up to the tune of Rs11 million. “When taken action, the bill reduces to Rs15,000 to Rs30,000. The government during its term attempted to bring reforms in TIP to streamlines its affairs.”

However the officials and employees of TIP dragged the government into litigation of 86 cases which have been reduced by 25% now, she added. “The cases of the bureaucracy of TIP have been referred to NAB.”